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The roads leading to sister city Tremosine, Italy -- home to many of this city's Italian immigrants -- were a prime location for the new 007 flick during a recent visit to the area by a delegation of 14 North Adams residents led by local dentist John Moresi.
"They were filming on the roads that lead into Tremosine," Moresi said last week. "When we arrived, the road we usually take into the town was closed for filming, so we had to put our bus on a ferry to get into the city. The production company paid for it."
While the filming made traveling around the area a little difficult -- requiring the tour group to leave the city by 8:30 a.m. if they were sightseeing in other areas -- it also added to the trip, Moresi said.
"Many of the actors in the film were staying in Tremosine," he said. "We didn't get to see any of the filming, but the production set was right there. The smashed-up Aston Martins were also brought back to the town."
Moresi, who spearheaded the sisterhood between the city and Tremosine, led the local delegation to a visit of
"One of the United Kingdom papers called the accidents happening there the 'James Bond' curse because three stunt men were hurt during the filming," Moresi said. "One of the stunt men went off the road, over the cliff, and landed the car in the lake below."
He said the roads leading to the town were chosen because of their tight curves and the natural gorge of the Barsa stream, which the roads pass through.
AccordingtotheTremosine Chamber of Commerce, the road was dubbed "the most beautiful road in the world" when it opened in 1913 and was hailed as the "eighth wonder of the world" by Winston Churchill.
Film officials aren't divulging much about the next Bond film.
"The plot is top secret, but it's to be sure that the road will have a 'starring' role," a translated news release from the Tremosine chamber states. "Bond's Aston Martin DBS and a Ford GT40 will chase each other at top speed around hairpin bends set into a rock face that falls sheer of the lake. The two cars will dodge bullets and other vehicles. The hot pursuit will involve a number of lorries, resulting in spectacular explosions with vehicles falling down the cliff face."
Moresi said the gorge is breathtaking to view and very narrow.
"The gorge is barely 10-feet wide," he said. "The roads also have a connection to North Adams. The primary engineer was a Cozzaglio, who has family living in the city."
Tremosine, in the province of Brescia in northern Italy, comprises 18 villages and hamlets and has a population of about 2,500.
Moresi said a delegation from Tremosine is expected to make a visit to North Adams in October. The last Italian delegation visited in 2005, and he hopes to welcome the group with the same enthusiasm shown then.
"When we visit Tremosine, we are literally welcomed with open arms," Moresi said. "They are very proud to be our sister city. Each time we visit, they have a reception for us and make a big deal out of it."
He said he plans to bring another group to Tremosine next June.
